At the Oct 2010 Clergy retreat we decided to initiate a spiritual discipline aspect to Clergy work. While this element of the Work has yet to be fleshed out and filled in we did discuss some ways it could look. One way, that seemed popular, was a tiered discipline; beginning with one devotional a month for the Nature Spirits moving to work with the Ancestors in the 2nd Clergy circle and Shining Ones in the 3rd.While, as I mentioned, this has not been mandated for Clergy, I felt the idea had merit and have chosen to begin this practice for myself.Tangentially I have long been interested in Pliny's description of Druid ceremony being held a certain number of days following a new moon, "Because by the sixth day the moon has plenty of vigor and has not run half its course."The confluence of these two streams produced the rite I performed tonight.To the Mother Mound I took a tray of offerings. Once there I lit the fire in its pottery chimney and performed a basic ADF liturgy. My Key Offerings were made to the Earth Mother, the GateKeeper and specifically to the Spirits of my land. I told them I remembered the first offering I made to them on this land, before I had even purchased the place. I brought them a gift of cornmeal, granola bars and pennies and asked that if they thought me acceptable and would assist me in purchasing the land I would honor them regularly and try to work for their benefit. I told them I saw how smoothly the purchase went and that I believed them further responsible for helping us keep this land despite our dire financial straits. I invited them to more closely ally themselves with me; that I would welcome their increased presence and guidance and would endeavor to draw closer to them.My gifts made I drew on Omen. Onn. Ash (or furze depending on your source) the Wheel, "Helper of horses," "smoothest of work." A thing that facilitates movement and progress, which makes obstacle able to be overcome. I am grateful for this gift and I interpret this as an acceptance of my invitation to work more closely with one another.